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My Home is Hong Kong

The recent Hong Kong Government Campaign: HK our Home wishes to remind us whatever happens here, we’re still a part of Hong Kong. They want to see harmony in the city which we’re currently lacking of. That’s what I thought the campaign is about. The official ‘About’ statement is as follow:

“Hong Kong: Our Home” is a city-wide public participation campaign that aims to inject positive energy into society, foster social cohesion and promote care, mutual help and solidarity in the community. It will run until the end of 2013. The Campaign provides a platform for enhanced publicity of events and activities that engage a wide cross-section of the community, that aim to make Hong Kong a more liveable and enjoyable city and that instil in residents a sense of pride about our home.

Apart from that, it also reminds myself how much I know about Hong Kong really. Such as the Tai O traditional dragon boat parade during the Dragon Boat Festival today. I totally missed it. I should really look into the event schedule more closely.

Hong Kong for me is more than just a city. It’s my root. It gives me identity when I travel abroad. I remember my first time going to Chinatown in Chicago years ago, hearing Cantonese (our native Chinese dialect) in Chinatown made me felt like home. Buying groceries of Hong Kong refueled my sense of identity. It reminded me where I’m actually from.

I used to tell everyone I met in the US how small Hong Kong was compared to their countries. Yes, it’s true. However, the places where I could travel here are more than the size of the overall area. You could travel thousand miles away in the US and nothing in-between the destinations. Here, there’s always a sense of life thanks to our web-like transportation sys., and urban developments. It feels great to be around with people, even strangers. Without a car IS NOT ever a problem. It gives me opportunity to get to know about the city. And my recent job requirement allows me to penetrate into many streets and alleys of some towns. It’s stressful to work on different locations, I still enjoy the moment with my camera after work. If I look back a few years back (in the US where I used to work/live), It’d be impossible to photograph daily. I wouldn’t be able to do what I love. I wouldn’t be able to show off our outfits/wardrobes, and my personal favorite is my jeans.

I have to be very thankful I ended up coming back home. I love my family, I love my home, I love Hong Kong.